Due to widespread censorship by Roman imperial authorities, no known copies of this book exist.

During his retirement in Sicily, Porphyry wrote Against the Christians (Κατὰ Χριστιανῶν; Adversus Christianos) which consisted of fifteen books.

Some thirty Christian apologists, such as Methodius, Eusebius, Apollinaris, Augustine, Jerome, etc., responded to his challenge.

In fact, everything known about Porphyry's arguments is found in these refutations, largely because Theodosius II ordered every copy burned in AD 435 and again in 448.

[5] As quoted by Jerome, Porphyry mocked Paul and the early Christians while suggesting that the "magical arts" performed by Jesus of Nazareth and his followers were nothing special, done similarly by other figures of Greco-Roman history:[6] He did it all for money; [...] (They were) poor and country-dwelling men, seeing that they used to have nothing; certain wonders were worked with magical arts.